Circuit fabrication technology has allowed integrated circuits to have extremely small sizes. These small integrated circuits are susceptible to voltages applied to the circuits as electro static discharges. When electro static charges accumulate in a device component, they create a high voltage that may discharge into the integrated circuit or electrical system. By discharging into the circuit, the applied voltage can alter the state of the circuit or cause damage to the circuit.
Electro static charges may create a high voltage to ionize the air in its vicinity and thus create a low impedance path to discharge the energy. The transient current that is created in a very short instant of time can damage electronic components.